Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 8, 1993 TAG: 9302080282
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A GUN COLLECTOR FOR GUN CONTROL
THE COMMENTARY, "An arms-load of gun-control myths" by Prof. David A. de Wolf published Jan. 21 in the Roanoke Times & World-News, contains many good points and articulates some thoughts that I have sought to express for sometime.Growing up in the country, I was always around firearms and became quite fond of them. My father gave me a .22 rifle when I was 10 or 12 years old, and over the years I have acquired a number of other firearms. I was a member of the National Rifle Association for a number of years. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the articles in The National Rifleman, but the strident editorials that appeared in the magazine against virtually any control of firearms or ammunition were very disturbing to me. About 25 years ago, I withdrew from the organization because I did not wish to support such activity in any way. I regret that I have not spoken out on this subject earlier.
I believe reasonable controls on the purchase of firearms, and regulations prohibiting sales of various types of nonsporting firearms and ammunition that are useful only to kill other humans, could be implemented without in any way preventing sportsmen, collectors and other law-abiding citizens from the enjoyment of their sport or hobby. Many of the automatic and semiautomatic weapons, Saturday-night specials, armor-piercing ammunition and similar items should have no appeal to reasonable persons.
It is ludicrous, as the NRA seems always to argue, that any reasonable regulation is but one step away from stripping firearms away from all private citizens. The proposed one-a-month limit on handgun purchases appears very reasonable, and I hope the legislature will adopt this measure. H. PAUL BIGLER ROANOKE